How are you suposed to get to the hospitals of sheffield, when you dont need an ambulance, but are too ill to use "public" transport?
Had to take the daughter to the childrens on wednesday & thursday, all the car parks full with lines of waiting traffic, & the council in their infinite wisdom have been round with the yellow paint on glossop road again!:rant: :rant: :rant:

If you're too ill to use public transport? What exactly is it that makes you unable to get on a bus or a tram yet still fit enough to get in your car and drive? Enlighten me please.

well if you are that ill ring for a taxi or call the emergency doctor

Hi tinsexpert,

Have you raised this with the hospital? I'm pretty sure most hospitals will have a transport scheme for patients who have difficulty travelling to and from the hospital. I volunteered on such a scheme in London a few years ago. Try giving them a ring and asking what help is available (bear in mind they will probably be some demand for the service) :)

It was my daughter (as it says!!!!!), she had broke her wrist & hand in a fall at school. We allso have to go to western park for chemo on a 3 weekly rota. I dont believe that these warrant an ambulance, as they are stretched to the limits as it is, & needed for emergancies i would have thought!!
& why should we pay a taxi? that would make it @ £20 hit + the lost wages, & if we went on the bus it's 2 buses from were we are, if we came home by bus from chemo we would need an ambulance!!!

If you're too ill to use public transport? What exactly is it that makes you unable to get on a bus or a tram yet still fit enough to get in your car and drive? Enlighten me please.
It's her daughter that's ill, not her.

It's her daughter that's ill, not her.
Thanks firecracker (the possibility had crossed my mind). Unpleasant and uncomfortable though a fractured wrist hand can be (and i know, I've had one) It doesn't strike me as something that rules out a bus journey. I have never owned a car so using public transport comes as second nature to me.
I can imagine that a long busride after Chemo could be a bit gruelling though - probably feeling wiped out nauseated etc? Can't think of a deal thats going to help there really except maybe the League of Friends have some kind of volunteer drivers scheme?

It's a tough one. The only real answers are;

A: Bigger car parks, but they'll just fill up as soon they open. So that's of limited use.

B: Workers to use other means of getting to the workplace, but the only way to do that is to force them.

Long term it will have to be B, but you'll remember this thread (http://72.232.42.34/showthread.php?t=86648)

Hi Tracie, tried that 1 for western park, but feel as though we're taking a service from those that can't get there under there own means as it were!!
not wanting to be a burden on the system I supose!!!!!

If they build a bigger car park whats stopping them issueing a permit with your appointment? So if you've got an appointment you get a space if you need it! & it would stop the people that park in these car parks who work somewhere else from using them as well.

Tintsexpert raises a couple of good points here, afterall, no-one goes to hospital unless they really have to.

This is why it raises my stress levels when as a visitor or someone entrusted to get someone to hospital, whether in emergency or for less urgent appointments, I am forced to pay to park! IMO the hospitals should not be raising revenue by charging visitors to park.

As Tintsexpert rightly points out - in being a frequent visitor - it costs a lot of money to park at the hospital. This isn't fair. I appreciate that in these days parking comes at a premium but it isn't as if the visitor is going shopping or doing so by choice - it's a case of needs must.

The situation is exacerbated, in Sheffield at least, by where the hospitals are situated. Which bright spark decided to build the new Jessops (wing) in one of the city's most built-up and congested areas with hardly any parking at all? Not only that, the parking is restricted!! Well, if it's one of my children in A & E and I've only got an hour to park, then I know which will take priority.

Visitors to hospital might plan on stopping a couple of hours and pay to do so, but once inside the building there are so many things that can make that two hour stay a four hour one and it isn't right for someone already under incredible stress and worry to have to worry further about the fact that their two hour parking is up!

Parking should be free but carefully monitored so that anyone using the car park as somewhere to leave their car all day to go into town is heavily fined.

And maybe councils should plan to build new hospitals in less congested areas.

If you're too ill to use public transport? What exactly is it that makes you unable to get on a bus or a tram yet still fit enough to get in your car and drive? Enlighten me please. this person cant be expected to travel on public transport if the child has a broken hand/wrist and also if they live a long way from the hospital what will the cost of taxis be ? 20 / 30 quid ? , should not these hospitals provide some adequate parking facility for accident and urgent cases ? i should think so without doubt .

should not these hospitals provide some adequate parking facility for accident and urgent cases ? i should think so without doubt .

People already take the mickey with parking - these spaces wouldn't stay free for these cases' someone would park there all day or while they go for their outpatient appointment.

I dont believe that these warrant an ambulance, as they are stretched to the limits as it is, & needed for emergancies i would have thought!!

I appreciate your sentiments - if only more people thought like you.

There is a dedicated outpatient and medicar service that is there for scheduled appointment - if you ask at the hospital they'd be able to advise you on whether you'd be elegible.

Can't agree more ousetunes, the people that make "informed" decisions about sheffield don't come on here more, that way at least they would get a more balanced view of what sheffield needs/wants!

My son had an appointment at the children's hospital last week, we were parked in a two hour zone. The clinic was running late so I had to take my son back out to the car and find somewhere else to park. When we got back to the clinic, we'd missed our turn!

I work at the Children's so I know what a nightmare it is. The situation is getting worse all the time.

I have to say if I had to take a sick or injured child to A&E I'd park on the yellow lines and risk a parking ticket (I know that the authorities do sometimes withdraw the fineif you can prove you were attending A&E) but of course that doesn't address the problem that staff, visitors and regular hospital outpatients face.

i dont believe that a problem with people abusing urgent parking spaces cant be sorted out , i agree with what ousetunes says anyone abusing urgent parking facilities should get a heavy fine .

I sympathise with your plight, and believe someone in your situation should be provided with a free parking solution somehow. I would be tempted to contact the hospital manager or administrator and if you have no joy go through your local councillor. If your child is on chemo it is appalling you have to struggle to park.:rant:

Yes I agree it would be great if car parking could be provided at all the hospitals.
However it is no good coming on and blaming planners etc. Unless you can give some ideas where these car parks could be built. Take the Childrens Hospital as an example.As far as I can see there is no available land around. I very much doubt that it would be possible to build a multi storey park on existing buildings.So come on you Planners lets have some constructive not fanciful ideas.

my niece goes to hospital every week for check ups etc,shes having chemo too.my sister cant drive so she was getting the medicars at first which are laid on by the hospital but she sometimes had to go 2 or more hours b4 her appointment and then wait the same amount of time again to come home after her appointment,so they just get taxis all the time now but she spends a fortune on them.
I personally hate going to any of the hospitals round that area due to parking.

my niece goes to hospital every week for check ups etc,shes having chemo too.my sister cant drive so she was getting the medicars at first which are laid on by the hospital but she sometimes had to go 2 or more hours b4 her appointment and then wait the same amount of time again to come home after her appointment,so they just get taxis all the time now but she spends a fortune on them.
I personally hate going to any of the hospitals round that area due to parking. i know you cant just pick these hospitals up and move them , so what it is then is that these hospitals are in the wrong places , there was lodge moor and king edwards at rivelin as far as i know these are now closed , but they were in suitable locations and had adequate parking facilities .

i know you cant just pick these hospitals up and move them , so what it is then is that these hospitals are in the wrong places , there was lodge moor and king edwards at rivelin as far as i know these are now closed , but they were in suitable locations and had adequate parking facilities .

I agree it's a real shame that the site of Lodge Moor Hospital wasn't used to build a new Childrens/maternity hospital.

The new Jessops should have been built with a car park underneath it, who ever thought they could build another hospital there and not increase the parking needs their head looking at.

Last year my 4 year old was in the childrens, he was in for 5 days. My ex and me took it in turns staying with him. While I was there, I managed to get a space in front of the hospital everyday, 2 hour zone I think? I thought sod it, my son is in hospital, I wasn't bothered about getting a ticket. God knows how I got away with it, but I sat and watched the parking wardens go down the row of cars everyday and ticket some but not others. I never got a ticket all week, even though I was in the same space for around 12 hours.

The new Jessops should have been built with a car park underneath it, who ever thought they could build another hospital there and not increase the parking needs their head looking at.

Last year my 4 year old was in the childrens, he was in for 5 days. My ex and me took it in turns staying with him. While I was there, I managed to get a space in front of the hospital everyday, 2 hour zone I think? I thought sod it, my son is in hospital, I wasn't bothered about getting a ticket. God knows how I got away with it, but I sat and watched the parking wardens go down the row of cars everyday and ticket some but not others. I never got a ticket all week, even though I was in the same space for around 12 hours.

And maybe councils should plan to build new hospitals in less congested areas.

And there was me thinking it was the NHS who planned hospitals...........

How are you suposed to get to the hospitals of sheffield, when you dont need an ambulance, but are too ill to use "public" transport?
Had to take the daughter to the childrens on wednesday & thursday, all the car parks full with lines of waiting traffic, & the council in their infinite wisdom have been round with the yellow paint on glossop road again!:rant: :rant: :rant:

Letting people park anywhere they want isn't the solution. You can cycle. You can get a taxi. There's many many bus routes that pass near the childrens hospital. 51, 52, 120, 60 at least.

Letting people park anywhere they want isn't the solution. You can cycle. You can get a taxi. There's many many bus routes that pass near the childrens hospital. 51, 52, 120, 60 at least.

Yes there are many bus routes that pass the hospital, but the point is that it takes me 5 minutes to drive to the hospital.

It takes me twenty minutes to cycle there, obviously if I am traveling with a sick or injured child I'm not going to give him a piggy back and ride there with him am I?

It takes me one hour by bus, again, traveling for one hour by bus with a small child is not fun, even when they are well, never mind if they are poorly.

For parents who are visiting their children in hospital this situation is terrible, often they are staying at the hospital and just need to pop home to get clean clothes or spend a little bit of time with there other children, the fact that they face a long ride on public transport makes this very difficult for parents.

And dont forget the childrens hospital is a regional centre for several specialities, patients come as far away as Lincoln,grimsby and scarborough, should they be coming on the bus too?

I dont think its a case of letting people park where they want. Its more like having enough parking spaces to cope with demand, imagine a modern shopping mall with only 1000 spaces, it would never happen, but yet the parking around the hospitals is totally inadequate.

You cant expect ill people to travel on a bus. If you actually look ill the driver will probably refuse to let you on. Imagine the reaction of the other passengers, they wouldn't be happy travelling with some one who is ill, wether it be broken bones or what ever.

You need to get to the hospital as quickly and as comfortably as possible, in an ambulance for serious cases or car otherwise.

Letting people park anywhere they want isn't the solution. You can cycle. You can get a taxi. There's many many bus routes that pass near the childrens hospital. 51, 52, 120, 60 at least.great you have come up with the solution to this problem ,all parents buy bikes and fit child seats on them just in case one of their children gets sick or injured thats a brilliant idea problem solved .

Last year, I attended my dentist at 8.30. I immediately headed for an appointment at Northen General (11am) via two low-floor buses as I am in a wheelchair. The melanoma was so pressing, I had surgery that afternoon and came home in a taxi.
Surely, care overrides cash - no point being the richest man in the cemetery -I feel this is a non-issue, one of common sense. If it means a taxi both ways, use them.

Letting people park anywhere they want isn't the solution. You can cycle. You can get a taxi. There's many many bus routes that pass near the childrens hospital. 51, 52, 120, 60 at least.

Trying to force bicycles down peoples throats isn't the solution either, Well how does one cycle with a broken arm, leg, head injury ? with great difficulty if nigh on impossible.

The original poster stated that they were taking their child for chemo, one thing that people have not picked up on is that when you're under going chemo or other forms of aggressive treatments your immune system is very low if not none existant, so traveling on public transport with people crammed into a small space coughing and sneezing etc, you are then wide open to catch all kinds of infections. Also at this time of year hanging around for a bus in the cold weather could make your situation worse.

If Supertram had been routed to where people need to go rather than where planners want us to go a lot of this argument would be solved.How many people need to go to Crystal Peaks from Hillsborough and vv?
How many people in these areas need to go to one of the biggest hospitals (NGH) in Europe?

If Supertram had been routed to where people need to go rather than where planners want us to go a lot of this argument would be solved.How many people need to go to Crystal Peaks from Hillsborough and vv?
How many people in these areas need to go to one of the biggest hospitals (NGH) in Europe?
________________Surely it is not how many people want to travel From Hillsborough to Crystal Peaks but how many people want to travel to places along the route ie City Centre . Buses run from Hillsborugh to NGH every 10mins

?
________________Surely it is not how many people want to travel From Hillsborough to Crystal Peaks but how many people want to travel to places along the route ie City Centre . Buses run from Hillsborugh to NGH every 10mins
It could still come City-Hillsborough-Ngh-MeadowHell-City.The other side Crystal Peaks to City Centre via Uni-RHH-Childrens-Jessops-MeadowHell.

Being registered disabled, I have been told I qualify for a 'medicar'. Not sure what the general criteria are for such, but it may be worth enquiring. It is effectively a taxi provided by the NHS. Where chemo is concerned, I agree it is better to be home as quickly as possible which is why I think a taxi is the best alternative.

Being registered disabled, I have been told I qualify for a 'medicar'. Not sure what the general criteria are for such, but it may be worth enquiring. It is effectively a taxi provided by the NHS. Where chemo is concerned, I agree it is better to be home as quickly as possible which is why I think a taxi is the best alternative. yes but how do you know wether this person had enough money to pay for taxis ? they might live a long way off , and it might cost 20 / 30 quid for taxis , yes they are expensive .

I can't speak for other people but whether it is private physiotherapy which is not cheap, dental attention or on-going medical care, my choice is to prioritise these needs ahead of other things. It's a personal choice but good health/treatment is more important and if getting a taxi every three weeks is preferable to hanging around for ambulances/ or avoiding infections on public transport, then I'd take it.

If I'm going more or less anywhere these days I aim to get there a good half hour before my appointment / meeting / whatever in order to give myself time to find somewhere to park - and I don't generally expect it to be next door to where I'm going - I expect to usually have a 10 min or so walk to my final destination.

This is just a simple fact of city living (and it applies to other cities, not just Sheffield) in the 21st century.

Chairboy has a point about taxis - it's only around £7 in a taxi from NGH all the way to Heeley, and for those who are earning, and have trouble travelling, but not so much that they can't have an ambulance, this is affordable when attending appointments. The NHS also reimburse taxi fares for those on low incomes or benefits.

There is also a new park and ride based at Abbeydale Tesco for the hospitals and Uni, handy for visiting or for staff from that side of the city.

Any spaces should be reserved for those travelling from outside the city as they would have the most difficulties getting in any other way, or for say parents who have to go in and out several times a day when they have a seriously ill child in the hospital.It could be reserved on the basis of one space per patient.

Telling patients to use a bike or get the bus isn't all that helpful! Patients must take priority over everyone else. But this doesn't mean the hospitals should forget their staff, they need to find solutions for them too, and the new park and ride could be a start.

It is a pity in a way that the Northern General does not provide A and E cover as it is easier to park there.

NGH used to have a "childrens" ward, but is was shut down so all peadiatrics were in one "accesable" (how funny is that) place!

It is a pity in a way that the Northern General does not provide A and E cover as it is easier to park there.

Is the A & E only for adults at the Northern General? I didnt know that.

Seem's alot of ythe posters here seem to think it's reasonable that parents should pay for taxi's to take their children to hospital.
Well I can tell you that alot of the families that attend the childrens hospital struggle to run to bus fares, never mind taxi fares.

Why not drive to the nearest free parking and order a taxi from there. Should only be a couple of quid.

Have got the answer re parking at Hospitals.

Childrens Hospital. Across the road is Weston Park. walked through the other week only saw a man with a dog and a couple of kids on bikes.
Cover it in Tarmac.

Weston Park Hospital. Across the road. University sports stadium never seems to be much used

Cover it with Tarmac

Problem solved

well put, bet nobody else see that as a solution though

This is my experience of Rotherham GH, not sure if it also applies to Sheffield hospitals-
I think part of the answer may be to restrict staff car parking. Many staff work between the hours of 0800-1800 and could use public transport. Other staff live within walking distance, but still drive to work because they can park for free.

well put, bet nobody else see that as a solution though i bet they do because i do , why not ? it would be more of a priority in my opinion .

Weston Park and and the Uni football pitches are far too important as sport/relaxation areas to have tarmac slapped on them. Crazy idea.
I've travelled from town to Northern General regularly over recent months and the bus service is excellent (whether the drivers are surly and the prices are extortionate are different questions). Taxis are not too expensive either and if everyone who didn't NEED to drive took alternative transport, then there'd be lots of parking for those that did.
More parking spaces means more people not getting off their lazy butts to walk, choosing instead to get into a car for a 5 minute drive, and congesting the rest of the world for you and me.
I've made my way to A + E on the bus with broken ribs and a smashed knee and I'm not hard, just a little thoughtful.

Hello The Pikey
Of course its a crazy idea I suggested it tongue in cheek to see how many would take it seriously. Just to say that I recently attended Weston Park Hospital for Radio Therapy treatment 5 days a week for 7 weeks,used bus or tram the whole time and was never late for an appointment. It can be done using a little forethought and saves on the stress of driving round trying to find somewhere to park.

Well done bazjea, when we were going to western park for chemo we couldnt have got on a bus, 1 its 2 buses from there to home. 2 within 1 hour feeling as if the world is going to end! (& that feeling lasted anything up to 2 weeks!) 3. with enerybody's colds & flu & a supressed imune system we wouldn't have been making the next appointment!
& western park advise against using public transport for that same reason.

Hello Tintsexpert
I well understand that many people having certain treatments would not be able to use public transport. However I would say if a good few more just looked a little further than the car parked outside and used public transport, car park spaces may be easier to get for those who really need them. I am sure you would agree that trying to park at Weston Park is a nightmare.

Parking at all the hospitals is a nightmare, as I said in the beggining of the thread, you cant expect to take kids to a & e on the bus, taxis cost a fortune & dont come to Oughtibridge "it's too far out" & dont like blood on the seats for obvious reasons. The ambulance service is stretched to the limits, so why not use your own car? We did try the taxi route for chemo the first time, what a nightmare that was, driver "just" spoke english & ignored all directions given, tried charging a fortune, got paid pittense! & threat of informing council / imigration.set off that fast couldn't get reg of car!! So we have tried the alternatives & they haven't worked for us, thats not saying they dont work for anybody, but we should have the choice of how we get around!

Have got the answer re parking at Hospitals.

Childrens Hospital. Across the road is Weston Park. walked through the other week only saw a man with a dog and a couple of kids on bikes.
Cover it in Tarmac.

Weston Park Hospital. Across the road. University sports stadium never seems to be much used

Cover it with Tarmac

Problem solved you sure do change your mind quick , dont you bazjea ? it still doesn't alter the fact that people still need somewhere to park , when using these hospitals , the childrens hospital is way outdated it was ok donkeys years back when people didn't have cars like they do today .

you sure do change your mind quick , dont you bazjea ? it still doesn't alter the fact that people still need somewhere to park , when using these hospitals , the childrens hospital is way outdated it was ok donkeys years back when people didn't have cars like they do today .

How did folk get there years back when they didn't have cars like they do today?

I do not change my mind' I gave a possible solution which I would have thought anyone would see was a pie in the sky solution that would never come to fruition.

How did folk get there years back when they didn't have cars like they do today?

they didn't.....and people didn't live as long

they didn't.....and people didn't live as long

They must have got there or else the Hospital wouldn't ever have existed.

How did folk get there years back when they didn't have cars like they do today?maybe there was more ambulances , or people had to struggle is that right that they should today ? if you have an injured child and the car is outside your house what do you do if its urgent ? and an ambulance is not an option ? you use the car , is it asking too much for some space to park when you get to the hospital ?.

To anyone who is arguing for more parking:

Consider this. It isn't a Sheffield problem. It isn't a hospital problem. It's a nationwide problem in any city with almost all public buildings. You can't expect to just drive anywhere, you have to look at the alternatives. Many hospitals do offer transport home, whether in a minibus type ambulance or with a dedicated taxi firm. Getting to A&E as opposed to outpatient appointments: many people don't have cars, especially those that live in cities and they have to cope. I'm afraid you have to stop pinning your unrealistic hopes on somewhere providing more parking, and concentrate your energies on researching alternative transport.

maybe there was more ambulances , or people had to struggle is that right that they should today ? if you have an injured child and the car is outside your house what do you do if its urgent ? and an ambulance is not an option ? you use the car , is it asking too much for some space to park when you get to the hospital ?.

Twiglet is right. It's a complicated problem that couldn't be solved short of knocking down some of the houses round there to create more parking, and I shudder to think what that would cost the NHS! The only solution to those kinds of situations would be if they had a 'pull-in' like at the Hallamshire where you could drop off the patient while you went to find parking.

I've been there myself at the NGH, me in a wheelchair and my father unable to park. He had to drop me at the door and find somewhere to park. Someone brought me in and made sure I was warm. And in most cases I'm sure both parents are with the child when they take it in so it would not be alone. In others, a child care asistant could be on hand to help them settle into a seat and wait.

Otherwise, some people in Sheffield might be better off going to hospitals in Barnsley or Chesterfield.

Twiglet
You have got it spot on
As someone who worked around the country, sevicing equipment that is used in hospitals.I have to say that the situation is the same wherever you go as regards parking, Sheffield is certainly no worse than many other cities.

I agree with all the parking issues...I had to attend the Hallamshire every week for 3 years and was often kept waiting 3 hours due to delays (lucky for me I had a sympathetic boss who let me 'off' every Friday morning) but ....
I come originally from Bridlington and would like to say that we in Sheffield are extremely lucky to have so many specialist hospitals (Children's, Weston Park and Jessops) located within our city. Live somewhere like Brid and you'll find yourself travelling to Scarborough (and then having to find parking places!) just for a simple birth...anything more complicated and you may be heading to Hull....
I know it is a nightmare, believe me..the amount of times we've had to trapse 2 kids to the childrens and find a space (not) to park...but at the same time, I always thank my lucky stars we live somewhere that has such specialist care.

you can get on a bus with a broken wrist. There are plenty of worse things you cant bus it with however so i spose special taxi rates for hozzy would be a good thing. Like 60% fare. Cab companies could opt in or out depending on demand

How can a child be expected to go to hospital by bus while bleeding & in pain?
& yes I was on my own so I couldn't just leave her while I found somewhere to park!!
If sheffield has all these specialist services, we need to be able to access them, it's no good if you can't get there. All I am saying is due to the transport system that is only any good if you live in an area populated by students, the car is the only way to get to them.:loopy: